Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary description of the holiday. Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: history and meaning. Folk traditions, backs

Dormition Holy Mother of God- one of the 12 main Orthodox celebrations, the Mother of God holiday. In 2019, it is celebrated on August 28th. The full church name of the holiday is the Assumption Holy Lady Our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. It is dedicated to the memory of the death of the Mother of God. The word "assumption" does not symbolize the death of an ordinary person, but the ascension of the spirit and body to God.

history of the holiday

After the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven, the Blessed Mary remained in the care of the Apostle John. When King Herod began the persecution of Christians, the Mother of God and John settled in Ephesus. There she prayed daily and asked the Lord to take her to him as soon as possible. One day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and informed her that after three days her earthly life will end.

Before her death, the Virgin Mary wished to see all the apostles who preached Christianity in different cities. Her wish came true. The apostles gathered at the bed of the Virgin, on which she humbly accepted death. The coffin with the body of the Mother of God was buried in a cave. The apostles remained at its foot for another three days and prayed. The Apostle Thomas was late for the burial. He was allowed to open the entrance to the tomb and bow to the holy remains. There was no body in the cave. The apostles were convinced of the bodily ascension of the Mother of God into heaven.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in the Orthodox Church with special solemnity. The holiday has 1 day of prefeast and 8 days of afterfeast. Priests wear blue clothes.

On the eve of the holiday, the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple, on which the face of the Mother of God is depicted. Then it's done all-night vigil, during which stichera and canons are sung, proverbs are read, and the troparion to the Assumption of the Mother of God is performed. On the 2nd or 3rd day of the feast, in many cathedral and parish churches, the rite of the burial of the Mother of God is performed. During matins, at the great doxology, the clergy go to the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos located in the center of the temple and burn it. Then they carry her around the temple. After that, the clergy anoint the parishioners with consecrated oil (oil).

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is preceded by a strict Assumption fast. On August 28, parishioners break their fast. Hostesses cook festive dishes, which is served to the family and the needy.

According to folk tradition, on August 28, people harvest vegetables and fruits and make preparations for the winter. In Rus', on this day, the guys got married.

What not to do on the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, you should not wear new or uncomfortable shoes, otherwise you will feel discomfort all year.

You can’t swear, offend your neighbors, refuse to help those in need, be rude and be in a bad mood.

In Rus', people compared the Mother of God with Mother Earth. On this holiday, it was forbidden to walk barefoot and stick sharp objects into the soil. These actions offended the land and caused crop failure.

Signs and beliefs on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Rainy weather on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin portends a dry autumn.
If the holiday coincides with the "Indian summer", then the winter will be frosty and with little snow.
A girl who does not find a boyfriend before the Assumption will be unmarried until spring.
Completing previously started business or helping a friend on this holiday is a good omen.
If you rub or injure your leg on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then life's difficulties and failures are expected ahead.

Holidays 27.08.2018

DORMITION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

August 15/28 the whole Christian world celebrates Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is one of the greatest church holidays. In Orthodoxy, it belongs to the number of the Twelve. On this day, the Holy Church commemorates the righteous death (dormition) of the Mother of God - an event colored at the same time by sadness at the end of the life path of the Mother of God and joy at the reunion of the Most Pure Mother with the Son. The Church calls the death of the Mother of God the Assumption (the Slavic word “assumption” means sleep), and not death, because ordinary human death, when the body returns to the earth, and the spirit to God, did not touch the Gracious.

The Mother of God is the most revered and most sacred person after the Lord, it is She who is given special honor and worship by all kinds of Christians. Countless churches and monasteries were erected in honor of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, in each Christian temple behind the main entrance, marvelous frescoes depict Her holy burial, sublime hymns adorned the festive services, and brilliant solemn words were uttered by the Fathers of the Church and later churchmen on the occasion of the day of Her memory. All human races vying with each other tried to bring her all the most valuable, in order to appease the Virgin Mary both in word and deed.

The Mother of God was a unique creation of God, surpassing both people and Angels. She was the only one of all people who led an immaculate life and became the Mother of God in an incomprehensible way for all things.

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary following the feast of the bright Christ's Resurrection more than others was revered by the Russian people. "Theotokos Easter" - that's how it was called in Rus'. And this is no coincidence. Through Her Dormition, the Mother of God became even closer and dearer to Christians, for became a zealous Intercessor for them before the throne of God. Every time, celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we seem to meet Easter again, this time in summer.

During His execution, Jesus Christ, seeing the Mother of God standing nearby and the Apostle John, whom he especially loved, said to His Mother: “Woman! behold, thy son,” and to John: “behold, thy mother” (John 19:25-27).

From that time on, the Apostle John took care of the Mother of God until the end of Her life. From now on, we know about the earthly life of the Virgin only from the Apocrypha. She lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian in Jerusalem, becoming a common Mother for all the disciples of Christ, and on the day of Pentecost, like them, she received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Mother of God led a closed, secret life, but many knew about Her great wisdom and came from distant lands to talk with Her. Like the apostles, she planted and established Christian Church By your presence, word and prayers.

So about 10 years passed, and when the Jewish king Herod began the persecution of the Church, The Mother of God, together with the Apostle John the Theologian, moved to Ephesus, who fell to him by lot for the gospel sermon. Living here She visited the righteous Lazarus in Cyprus and Mount Athos, blessing her as Her inheritance.

The reverence of the ancient Christians for the Mother of God was so great that they preserved everything about Her life that they could only notice from Her words and deeds, and even conveyed to us about Her appearance. “She was a Virgin not only in body, but also in soul, humble in heart, circumspect in words, prudent, reticent, a lover of reading, industrious, chaste in speech. Her rule was not to offend anyone, to be well-disposed to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sane, to love virtue. When did She even offend her parents with her facial expression, when she was in disagreement with her relatives? When you were proud before a modest person, laughed at the weak, evaded the poor? She had nothing stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent in words, nothing indecent in her actions: her body movements were modest, her tread was quiet, her voice was even; so that Her bodily appearance was the expression of the soul, the personification of purity. She turned all Her days into fasting: she indulged in sleep only at the request of need, but even then, as Her body rested, She was awake in spirit, repeating what she had read in a dream, or thinking about bringing her proposed intentions to fruition, or devising new ones. She left the house only to go to church, and then accompanied by relatives. However, although She appeared outside Her house accompanied by others, She herself was the best guardian for Herself; others guarded only her body, and she guarded her customs herself.

According to the tradition preserved by the church historian Nicephorus Callistus (XIV century), the Mother of God “was of medium height or, as others say, somewhat more than average; golden hair; eyes quick, with pupils, as it were, the color of an olive; the eyebrows are arched and moderately black, the nose is oblong, the lips are flowering, full of sweet speeches; the face is neither round nor pointed, but somewhat oblong; her hands and fingers are long... In conversation with others, she maintained decency, did not laugh, did not get indignant, and especially did not get angry; completely artless, simple, she did not think about herself in the least and, far from effeminacy, she was distinguished by complete humility. As for the clothes she wore, She was content with their natural color, which even now proves Her sacred head covering. In short, in all Her actions, a special grace was revealed.

Struck by Her beauty even in his advanced years, the disciple of the Apostle Paul, the Greek Dionysius the Areopagite, testified that if he had not professed the One God, he would have decided that before him was a “beautiful goddess.”

Shortly before Her death, the Mother of God returned to Jerusalem. She often visited those places that were closely associated with Her Son: Bethlehem, Golgotha, the Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, Olivet. There She prayed earnestly, and over time, more and more often that the Son would take Her soon to Himself in heaven. According to legend, the Jews tried to kill Her, for which, by order of the high priests, guards were placed at the Holy Sepulcher, but at the right moment, the soldiers lost their sight, and they could not see the Mother of God.

The Blessed Virgin expected the end of her earthly days calmly and even with joy - after all, She knew that there, in Heaven, she would meet Her Son and Her God. Once the Mother of God was in deep prayer on the Mount of Olives. Suddenly, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her and informed Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, that it was pleasing to the Lord to take Her to Himself. To commemorate his words, the archangel handed the Mother of God a luminous branch of paradise - a symbol of victory over death and decay - (Dimitry of Rostov clarifies that it was a branch from a date palm tree), and indicated to carry it in front of the coffin during burial. With heavenly news, the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with three virgins who served Her (Sepphora, Evigaea and Zoila). The Mother of God, having come home, joyfully informed her betrothed son John about this, and he informed the Apostle James and through him the whole Church of Jerusalem. The Mother of God commanded to bury Herself in Gethsemane, next to the graves of Her righteous parents and righteous Joseph the Betrothed.

On the day of the Dormition of the Theotokos, in a miraculous way in Jerusalem, almost all the apostles were gathered to say goodbye to Her, who had previously dispersed along different countries to preach the Word of God. The Apostle Paul arrived later than everyone else with his disciples: Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheus, Timothy and others from the 70 apostles. She called each of them to Her by name and blessed. Only the Apostle Thomas was absent.

The third hour arrived, when the Dormition of the Mother of God was to take place. Many candles were burning. The holy apostles with hymns surrounded the splendidly decorated bed, on which the Blessed Virgin Mary reclined. Suddenly an unspeakable light shone, darkening the lamps; the roof of the upper room was opened, and Christ Himself descended with many angels. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with thanksgiving prayer and asked to bless all those who honor her memory. She also prayed to His Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power, from air ordeals. Then the Mother of God joyfully gave Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard. There are many versions regarding the age of the Virgin at the time of Her Assumption, but it is most likely that She lived for about 72 years and died about A.D. 57.

From Her fragrant body, the sick immediately began to receive healing. The solemn transfer of the Most Pure Body from Jerusalem to Gethsemane began. Peter, Paul, and James, along with the other apostles, carried the bed of the Mother of God on their shoulders, and St. John the Theologian walked in front with a heavenly radiant branch. The Apostle Peter began singing the psalm "In the Exodus of Israel from Egypt", solemn hymns sounded. Above the bed appeared a cloudy circle in the form of a crown, illuminated by radiance. This crown floated over the procession to the very place of burial. The procession was followed by Jews who did not believe in Christ.

The high priests sent their servants to disperse the procession, kill the apostles and burn the body of the Mother of God, but the angels struck the blasphemers with blindness. The Jewish priest Athos (according to other legends, Jethoniy or Zephaniah), who tried to overturn the bed of the Virgin, was punished by an angel who cut off his hands. Seeing such a miracle, Affonia repented and with faith confessed the greatness of the Mother of God. He received healing and joined the host of those who accompanied the body of the Mother of God, becoming a zealous follower of Christ. The repentant of the blind also received their sight.

For three days the apostles stayed at the tomb of the Mother of God, singing psalms. On the fourth day, the absent Apostle Thomas returned to Jerusalem and was very sad that he could not say goodbye and bow to the Mother of God. The apostles, taking pity on him, decided to go and roll away the stone from the grave cave in order to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to the Mother of God. But, to their amazement, the body of the Virgin was not in the cave, only burial clothes remained. Returning home, the astonished apostles fervently prayed to God that He would reveal to them what had become of the body of the Mother of God. And through their prayers, a miracle happened.

In the evening of the same day, the Mother of God Herself appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! I am with you - all the days; and I will always be your prayer book before God. This delighted the apostles and all who were with them so much that they raised the part of the bread supplied for the meal in memory of the Savior (“part of the Lord”) and exclaimed: “Most Holy Theotokos, help us.” This was the beginning of the rite of offering panagia - the custom of offering a piece of bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is still preserved in monasteries. That is why the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is not a reason for sorrow, but a holiday. After all, “with you” means that She is with all of us, too, “all the days” ...

The Lord, by His special consideration, slowed down the arrival of St. Thomas to the day of the repose of the Most Pure Theotokos, so that the tomb would be opened for him, and the Church, thus, was convinced of the resurrection of the Mother of God, just as earlier, through the unbelief of the same Apostle, she was convinced of the resurrection of Christ. There is an Orthodox tradition that on the third day after the burial, the Mother of God appeared to the Apostle Thomas and threw Her belt from Heaven to comfort him.

Since then, the Church has been celebrating this event. Everything in it is a remembrance of the earthly life of the Mother of God, sadness and joy, because this is also the day of Her birth for eternal life, where She is placed above the angelic ranks, the day of testimony that the promises of the Lord are immutable, about life and about the miracle of the Resurrection ...

The feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God has been established by the Church since ancient times. In the 4th century, it was already widely celebrated in Byzantium. At the request of the Byzantine emperor Mauritius, who defeated the Persians on August 15, on the day of the Assumption of Our Lady (since 595), the holiday became a church-wide one. The main purpose of establishing the holiday was the glorification of the Mother of God and Her Assumption. To this main goal in the IV-V centuries. another one joins - the denunciation of the errors of heretics who encroached on the dignity of the Mother of God, in particular, the errors of the Collyridians, heretics of the 4th century, who denied human nature of the Blessed Virgin (as a result of which they denied Her bodily death).

The death of the Most Holy Theotokos the Virgin Mary is called the Dormition, because She “as if fell asleep for a short time, and, as if from a dream, rose to eternal life”, because death, as the return of the earth to her dust, and the spirit to God, did not touch Her. She only fell asleep in order to awaken at the same moment to an eternally blessed life and after three days with an incorruptible body to move into a heavenly incorruptible dwelling.

Place of the Assumption of the Virgin in Jerusalem

According to legend, Before her death, the Most Holy Theotokos lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian. Here she passed away.

In 415, on the site of the Dormition of the Theotokos, in the place where the house of the Apostle John the Theologian stood, next to the Chamber of the Last Supper, the Byzantine basilica "Holy Zion" was built, dedicated to the Easter Last Supper of Jesus Christ and His disciples, as well as the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on Pentecost. This temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times (in 614 during the invasion of the Persians, in 966 and in 1200 by Muslims).

In 1910, on this site, on the top of Mount Zion, a German Benedictine abbey was built - the monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin (Dormitsion) (in late XIX century, the Catholic Benedictine Order managed to acquire this piece of land from Sultan Abdul-Hamid II).

In the crypt of the temple, in the center of the hall, there is a sculpture of the Virgin, reclining on a stone.

The most pure body of the Mother of God was buried just like she asked in the tomb where her parents Joachim and Anna, as well as Joseph the Betrothed, were previously buried. The tomb of the Virgin is located in Gethsemane, at the foot of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, in the Kidron Valley, in Jerusalem (East Jerusalem). In the 5th century, a temple was erected on the burial site. There is a legend that before St. Helena Equal to the Apostles built a basilica here. In 614 the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God was preserved.

Tomb of the Mother of God, view from the northern entrance to the Kuvuklia. The Orthodox altar, set over the sacred bed, is covered with a red veil

In 681, the tomb of the Virgin was opened by decision of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. According to legend, a belt and burial shrouds were found in it.

Now the cave church of the Assumption of the Virgin stands above the tomb.

Most of the modern building dates back to the time of the Crusaders. This is an underground temple, which leads to 50 steps, with aisles of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

The temple has a cruciform shape: in the center is the tomb of the Virgin with two entrances, at the end of the cave there is an altar. In a stone kivot - miraculous icon Mother of God of Jerusalem in Russian letters.

Tomb of the Virgin (Edicule), view from the west

Tomb of the Theotokos (cuvuklia), view from the west. To the left of the entrance is the Armenian throne

The temple belongs to the Greeks and Armenians. It is here, according to tradition, before the feast of the Assumption from Little Gethsemane, near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, that the Orthodox carry the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos in procession along the same path that the apostles once carried the body of the Mother of God to burial.

Celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin in Greece

In Greece, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated almost as widely as Easter. At the center of celebrations Tinos island, and his miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Tinos": miraculous healings, volleys from ship cannons, flowers and flags, military bands and religious processions.

From the temple comes a solemn procession, the icon is placed on a stretcher carried by sailors

Under the numerous gifts with which the believers decorated the icon in gratitude for the miracles, it is difficult to discern the plot of the icon - the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary with the good news. Nevertheless, every year on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thousands of people flock to the Greek island of Tinos to kneel from the port to the temple and touch the miraculous icon.

Everyone passing under the icon tries to touch it with his hand or attach some object to the icon.

There is a straight road from the port to the temple on the hill. On the side of the road, a path made of a material like carpet was laid especially for pilgrims.

Sometimes parents take sick children on their backs so that they can be healed.

In Greece on the island of Kefalonia, or "Island of Miracles", as it is called, every year on August 15 to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the village of Markopulo, where miraculous icon of Panagia Fedus(translated as "Virgin of the Serpent"), crawl Poisonous snakes. Believers call them "the snakes of the Virgin Mary", because on this day they are harmless. They do not exceed one meter in length, they have a cross on their head, as well as on the tip of the tongue. According to tradition, if snakes do not appear, this is a bad sign. This happened twice - in 1940 before the outbreak of World War II in Greece and in 1953 - before the devastating earthquake.

Villagers notice snakes on the eve of the holiday, often gather with the priest in advance, read prayers and expect the appearance of snakes. Small snakes crawl here, and they are brought to the temple for Divine service. They are collected, put on the neck and stroked. Orthodox Greeks believe that this touch brings happiness. During the festive service, snakes are placed on the icon of the Mother of God, and they lie there quietly throughout the not-so-short service. According to ancient tradition, snakes are left in the church all night.

Serpents are mentioned in Christian books, mostly with a negative connotation, but Kefalonia is practically the only place in a world where these reptiles are, as it were, rehabilitated in the eyes of believing Christians.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

On August 28, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a holiday dedicated to the day of the death of the Virgin Mary. Many people consider the day of a person's death a mourning day, and do not understand the joy of believers celebrating this holiday. In the understanding of the Church, the Dormition does not mean death, but sleep. On this day, they remember the miraculous passage of the Virgin Mary to Heaven, where She met the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

History of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

After the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God lived in the house of John the Theologian. Once, during a walk in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Ever-Virgin and announced that in three days She would have to pass into eternal life and bodily death would not have power over Her, and that She, as if falling asleep with death in a dream, would soon wake up and see in the light of the face of the Lord eternal life and immortal glory.

Through the prayer of the Mother of God, it happened that in Jerusalem on the day of her Assumption, the apostles miraculously began to gather from distant lands. At the third hour, during a common prayer, at the hour of the death of the Blessed Virgin, an extraordinary light illuminated the room and Jesus Christ himself descended, surrounded by angels and archangels, and received a pure soul.

The odr, on which the body of the Mother of God was located, was carried by the holy apostles through all of Jerusalem. Their path lay in Gifsemane. Above the procession, the sounds of celestial music were heard and a cloud of light appeared. The high priest Athos wanted to stop the procession and tried to overturn the bed with the body, but the angel of the Lord cut off his hands with a fiery sword. Athos repented and received healing. Later he began to preach the teachings of Christ.

In the evening, the holy apostles laid the body of the Most Holy Theotokos in a coffin, and closed the entrance to the cave with a large stone.

It so happened that the Apostle Thomas was not present at the burial of the Mother of God. He arrived in Jerusalem on the third day and, regretting that he could not say goodbye to the Most Pure, wept bitterly at the tomb. The apostles took pity on him and rolled away the stone from the tomb so that he could venerate the holy body, but then they discovered that the body of the Ever-Virgin had disappeared, and there were only burial sheets in the cave. Then everyone understood that the Mother of God was taken to heaven in the body.

In the evening of the same day, the Mother of God appeared to the apostles at a meal and said: Rejoice! I am with you all the days! In response, the apostles raised a piece of bread and exclaimed: Holy Mother of God, help us". In memory of this event, the rite of panagia is performed in the monasteries - the offering of a piece of bread in honor of the Mother of God.

On the feast of the Assumption, the church glorifies the Mother of God, who has taken the entire human race under her protection and intercedes for people before the Lord Himself.

Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin: meaning

This holiday combines two opposite concepts - joy and death. In the understanding of the Orthodox, death is a temporary sleep until the human soul is resurrected. The Assumption of the Mother of God is an ode to eternal life, when, according to the word of the Lord, people who died in faith will enjoy eternity, where there will be no illness, suffering, grief and tears.

To celebrate this joyful event, it is better to visit the temple and attend the solemn service. Before the start of the service, put a candle, pray and bless all relatives and friends.

It is believed that on this day the Mother of God hears prayers for children in a special way, therefore, when visiting the temple, you should ask for health and good fortune for your children so that they do not deviate from the faith and can resist worldly temptations.

As you leave the church, do not forget to give alms to those in need. This day should be joyful for everyone, especially for those who are financially insecure.

Video: The meaning of the holiday of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Assumption of the Virgin. Icon / Pravmir

August ends with two important religious holidays at once - this is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018 and.

In today's material, we have collected the most important things to know about the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Assumption of the Virgin-2018: date

The date of the holiday does not change from year to year - it is August 28th. At the same time, the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is 1 day of fore-feast and 9 days of after-feast.

Just finished the day before.

How to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what they ask for

On this day, believers will ask the Most Holy Theotokos for help and intercession. Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos they also pray:

about getting rid of the fear of physical death;
about the strengthening of faith;
in illnesses.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs

There are many signs associated with the holiday. In particular, it is believed that after the Assumption, the Indian summer begins - but it is already time to prepare for autumn. By this time, the summer harvest was already over, as was the main harvest. But they began to collect mushrooms and nuts, storing them for the winter.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018: what not to do

On the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos it is impossible:

work both at home and in the garden - read more in our material;
walk barefoot on the Assumption;
wearing old or uncomfortable shoes;
pick up piercing and cutting objects;
spread the fire;
quarrel and swear;
wish someone harm;
On August 28, young girls were forbidden to cut their hair and then throw it away.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018: congratulations

To you on the day of the Mother of God of the Assumption

I want to sincerely wish from my heart

To heavenly blessing

Always accompany you in everything.

May the Virgin holy prayer force

Will protect you from all adversity.

So that there is much joy in life,

That which the heart longs for and calls for!

Today, on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, I want to sincerely wish you to always appreciate everything that you have in your life, do not waste time on insults and stupid quarrels with loved ones, cherish every moment of happiness and joy, give your heart the opportunity to sincerely love and hope. Let life path Mother of God and holy prayers warm and fill the soul with grace.

Congratulations on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Great heavenly and earthly Lady,

Virgin Mary Holy Mother of Christ,

From those centuries and now devoted to God.

May the angels of heaven bring us love,

With a heavenly prayer they will save from Satan,

Pray Virgin Mary for health and happiness,

Drive away all troubles, drive away bad weather.

From the bottom of my heart I congratulate everyone on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! May the joy and grace of the holiday not leave our souls for as long as possible!

Holy Mother of God,

We don't forget about you

We pray and praise

We often remember in church.

Holy Mother of God,

We only beg for love

And we rely on strength

We conjure by Christ God.

Holy Mother of God,

We wish you all the best, love,

You will help, we know for sure

We expect a miracle of happiness.

With the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! May the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and save you and your loved ones from adversity. May warmth, love and understanding always reign in your home.

28th, in the month of August,

We will gather in honor of the Mother of God,

Feast of the Dormition and Ascension,

To the son Jesus of spiritual zeal.

Sinless, beloved, pure virgin,

Looks at us from the azure sky,

Pray and ask her

To live this holiday in love.

More congratulations in our material.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the twelve main holidays in Russian Orthodox Church. It was erected in memory of the death of the Mother of God. Christians are led to it by a two-week Dormition fast, which in severity can be compared with Great Lent. Let's talk about the history of the holiday.

Date of celebration

Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary every year at the same time - August 28 (new style). And the Catholics - August 15, according to the old style.

History and meaning

After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, to whom Jesus Christ bequeathed to take care of Her as of her own mother.

For the closest disciples of Jesus Christ and all believers, She was a consolation and edification. The apostles wrote down everything that the Mother of God told about her life and about the life of her son.

Once, when the Blessed Mary was praying on the Mount of Olives, the archangel Gabriel appeared to Her with a heavenly date branch in his hands and brought the news that in three days Her earthly life would end and the Lord would take Her to Himself. The Mother of God rejoiced at this news: She realized that she could meet her son.

After the death of the Mother of God, the apostles buried her body in Gethsemane. Everyone was present at the ceremony, except for the Apostle Thomas. On the third day, when Thomas arrived at the Mount of Olives, he wished to see her tomb. It was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was no longer in it, only the shroud lay there.

On the same evening, the Mother of God appeared to the apostles surrounded by angels and said: "Rejoice! I am always with you all the days and will always be your prayer book before God."

Holiday name

The full name of the holiday is the Assumption of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

"Assumption" is an obsolete word. Translated into modern language means "death".

Traditions and signs of the holiday

On this day in Orthodox churches festive liturgies are held. Believers carry flowers to the icon depicting the Virgin and venerate it.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary marks the end of the summer harvest. On this day, it is customary to go to the temple and sanctify bread. At the same time, in no case should even a crumb of consecrated bread be dropped on the floor.

Previously, unmarried girls were looking forward to the holiday, since it was from this day that it was customary to start engagements in order to get married in the fall. They said, to whom they did not marry, he would spend the whole winter in girls.

It is believed that early Indian summer begins on August 28. According to the sign, what kind of weather is on the Assumption, this is waiting for us in the fall. Also, if the weather is good on this day, then the winter will be warm, and the next year will be fruitful.

Alena Filippova